Vehicle-body



(No Model.)

J. J. VOLLRATH.

VEHIGLB BODY- No. 520,126, Patented May 22, 1894.

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immmi UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB J. V OLLRATH, OF SHEBOYGAN, \VISCONSIN.

VEHlCLE-BCDY.

EPECIFIQATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 520,126, dated May 22, 1894.

Application l January 31,1891. Serial No. 379.777- (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB J. VOLLRATH, of Sheboygan, in the county of Sheboygan and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Bodies; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The main object of my invention is to provide a durable finish for vehicles.

It consists essentially of a suitable frame or body provided with enameled metallic panels or plates secured thereto as hereinafter particularly described and pointed out in the claims,

In the accompanying drawings like letters designate the same parts in the several figures.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a vehicle body embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on an enlarged scale of a portion of the body. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of one side of the same on astill larger scale. Fig. 4. is a detail view of a fastening for holding the ends of the panels, and Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the fastening applied to a modified form of frame or body.

A represents the frame of the body, which may be constructed in the usual manner of wood, or it may be made of metal or any other suitable material.

B B represent the panels, consisting of metallic plates, enameled or coated with porcelain by the process described in United States Letters Patent N 0. 250,465, issued to me December 6,1881,or by any other suitable method or process. The enameled coating of the plates constituting the panels or covering of the vehicle body is permanently applied to said plates, and indurated by baking or burning and contains pigments or coloring matter to give the desired color or finish to the vehicle. These enameled plates forming the outside of the body, may be attached in any suitable manner to an ordinary frame, or to a rough body, in any suitable manner.

I have shown in the drawings, a convenient method of constructing a vehicle body in accordance with myinvention. The top and bottom rails of the body are formed with a rabbet or groove in their outer faces of a depth equal to the thickness of the panels B B, which are inserted in said groove with their outer faces flush with the outer faces of said panels at the corners of the body are secured to the upright corner posts a, of the frame by angle plates 11, which overlap the ends of the panels, as shown in Fig. 2, and are formed or provided on the inside with pins or bolts 0 c, which pass through the corner posts a, and are held therein by nuts and washers 0. At intermediate points in thp body the ends of the panels are attached in like manner to the posts a. of the frame by flat plates 19'. Between the ends of adjacent panels, the posts a or a, to which they are attached, and the plates 1) or b, are placed perforated strips cl, of rubber or other suitable elastic material, which take up all play between the associated parts, and form a cushion which provents the fastenings from becoming loosened and rattling. The fastening plates 1) and b are enameled or provided with a porcelain coating like the panels, and if the top and bottom rails of the frameA are made of metal, they are also enameled in like manner. The body may be constructed with panels e e, of wood or other material constitutinga ground or lining, outside of which the enameled metallic panels are placed, as shown in Fig. 5.

By the construction hereinbefore described, the body is provided with apermanent finish which will not be affected by exposure to air or moisture, and will not be spotted by mud or easily scratched or marred by sand or grit in washing.

It is obvious that the panels may be made of various shapes and arranged in various ways according to the nature and style of the vehicle to which they are applied, and the tached, as well as the fastenings for attaching the same thereto, may be made of difierent materials in various ways, within the intent of my invention.

formed with seats for the edges of the panels,

rails, as shown in Fig. 3. The ends of the.

frame or groundwork to which they are at-.

1. A vehicle body comprising a frame enameled metallic panels, fastening plates secured to the frame over the edges of the panels, and strips of'elastic material interposed between said plates and frame.

2. In a vehicle body, the combination of a suitable frame, enameled metallic panels, fastoning plates formed or provided on the inside with threaded pins or bolts by which they are secured to the frame, and strips of elastic material interposed between said fastening plates and frame, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a vehicle body, the combination of a suitable frame having its top and bottom rails rabbeted to receive the upper and lower edges of the panels, enameled metallic panels placed with their upper and lower edges in the grooves in the top and bottom rails of the frame, fastening plates overlapping the ends of the panels and formed or provided on the inside with screw threaded pins or bolts by which they are secured to the frame, and strips of elastic material interposed between said fastening plates and frame, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' JACOB J. VOLLRATH. W'itnesses:

FRITZ KARSTE, FULTON RAAB. 

